World Cup 2026 qualifying reaches it's climax this week, starting tonight. Six spots for the 48 nation tournament remain, with the qualifying process is split into two sections: the Inter-Confederation Play-Off Tournament (2 spots) and the UEFA Play-Offs (4 spots).
The Inter-Confederation Play-Off Tournament is essentially a six-team 'mini-tournament' hosted in Mexico (specifically Guadalajara and Monterrey), which is also serving as a test event for the World Cup. It features teams from every confederation except Europe.
DR Congo and Iraq have the highest FIFA rankings, so they received a bye and go straight to the finals. Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia, and New Caledonia play their semi-final tonight. Europe has its own separate bracket involving 16 nations (12 group runners-up and four via the Nations League), each fighting for the final four European spots via one-legged semi-finals (tonight) and finals (Tuesday).
FourFourTwo takes a look at the key story lines...
